The invention relates to pictures and photographs enclosed in a frame which can be artificially lighted whenever a person wishes to view the subjects of a picture in more detail. It relates particularly to pictures in frames placed on a desk or mantlepiece in either horizontal or vertical orientation.
Framed pictures are usually lighted externally and/or independently by means of room lighting and/or by closely positioned or attached fixtures. In practice, the added fixtures are most often applied since room lighting is insufficient, but invariably as a compromise in lighting efficiency and effect. Therefore, it has been tried in the past to incorporate such lighting fixtures inside the picture frame itself, while concealing the light source from the viewer's eyes, with the intention of illuminating the picture but not the frame. In this manner an effect of depth is created and the individual details of the picture are well elaborated.
Illuminated picture frames have been designed and patented in the past. They are characterized by the use of elongated light bulbs or fluorescent tubes placed into a channel inside one or more sides of the picture frame, the channel being open on the frame inside so as to direct the light rays onto the picture surface. While U.S. Pat. No. 2,220,262 (Miller) discloses a frame provided with a tubular light bulb positioned along one side of the frame directing the light rays onto the surface of the inclined picture in order to light most of its surface by this unidirectional light source, the majority of the disclosures describe positioning of elongated light sources along two or even four sides of the picture frame, with improved lighting effects. The main drawback of the existing illuminated frames is the large volume and weight of the light sources and fittings, which require broad and heavy frame profiles and therefore limit their use to wallhung pictures, since they require connection to the electric supply system. None of the known illuminating means and fixtures are suitable for a movable picture frame to be placed on a desk or a mantlepiece or a book shelf.
Recently an ever-increasing demand for illuminated standing frames has led to the present design of a light and portable frame, since people love to view the pictures of their friends, relatives, or dearly departed ones in full color and well lighted. For this reason, it is the object of the present invention to provide such picture frame of lightweight and supplied with its own long-lasting electric energy source.
It is another object to provide such picture frames with narrow profiles, especially with respect to frames surrounding photographs of relatively small size, where broad and heavy frames would be inproportional.
Another object is to permit ready exchange of pictures of the illuminating fixtures and to give ready access to the interior for the purpose of cleaning the light fixtures, the picture surface, and the glass pane.
It is a final object to provide such picture frames at low cost by standardization of sizes and by mass manufacture of the various components.